A’Zambezi River Lodge for 2 nights
Given a complete "overhaul" and re-opened in May 2011, this iconic property has been given new life! Still the only lodge on the banks of The Zambezi River in Victoria Falls, A'Zambezi River Lodge is looking stunning with new and stylish rooms and bathrooms. A’ Zambezi is located some 5kms from the Falls.
Th...

La Dolce Vita - ItalyThis package is unbelievable value for money & the way to independently explore Italy.Add a cruise or extra nights, just ask us...
Fly to Rome, the Eternal City, and lose yourself in the tiny backstreets of the Trastevere district, sipping on an Aperol Spritz at sundown before seeking out a neighbourhood restaurant...

Veranda Paul and Virginie Mauritius is the perfect honeymoon resort for newlyweds. Here time stands still and romance hangs in the air like a heady perfume. This idyllic love nest brings couples closer together, has the power to fan the flames of l’amour like no other setting.Located on the north-eastern tip of Mauritius, at the heart of the ...

Club Med Cancun Mexico, Yucatan – Relaxing on the white sand beach , or discovering the wonders of Tulum or Chichen Itza. Choosing between waterskiing , windsurfing, Scuba diving and flying trapeze. Seeing your children turn into pirates or little sailors at the new Petit Club Med. Relaxing in a bath of flower petals at Club Med Spa by Comfort Zo...

Koh Samui now rivals Phuket as one of Thailand's most popular holiday destinations, with regular flights arriving at its own airport disgorging keen holidaymakers. There are a range of accommodation options on Koh Samui, from modest beach bungalows to luxury holiday resort hotels. The island still retains its laid-back atmosphere though, with frien...

Being a travel Agent: Then and now

About iGO TraveliGO Travel, is a professional and innovative travel agency that combines internet and communications technology, with dedicated personal service, to offer you the best in travel coordination and planning. With offices in Durban and Johannesburg, iGO Travel offers more than just leisure and corporate travel. We also specialise in schools, sports & groups travel arrangements, as well as inbound travel to Africa.Find out more >

In keeping with the Trend of “throwback Thursdays” we have a look at what it was like to work in travel in the 70’s.

Most of still remember paper tickets and revalidation stickers but not many of us experienced working in travel even before Computers!

iGO Travel’s very own Leslie Hart gives us a glimpse. Thank goodness for email, online reservation systems and all modern day technology!

“I started my career in 1975 – doing accounts where I had to write entries onto ledger cards file them and pray the auditors could follow what was where. Then I moved into reservations where we would have to look up flights using the HUGE ABC guide that would cost a fortune – write out the itinerary then PHONE the airline on a landline and ask for the flights to be booked. No written confirmations could be received.

The itinerary was then typed out on a typewriter, with a piece of carbon on the second page so we had a copy. Ticket stock was kept in the safe- and only 4 flight segments could be written on one ticket. So a round the world ticket took up to 3 to 4 tickets and then you had a family of 4. Air fares were calculated by ourselves using another HUGE book adding up mileages and checking there were no Higher fares to places in on the itinerary or used more mileage than you were allowed.

Hotels were booked overseas by using a TELEX machine. You had to pre type the message so that machine produced a tape with holes in it to save money when you connected the call – you would then run the tape and the machine would self type your message. It took DAYS if not weeks to get replies. Vouchers where typed out (again with a carbon copy).

All paper documents then had to be delivered to the client in good time for them to check everything. Heaven help them if they lost the tickets – or as often happened at the airport the desk clerk took out the wrong coupon on the ticket. NO CELL PHONE FOR AFTER HOURS….

In 1980 – the first reservation system SAAFARI (SAA fare and reservation system) saw the light – tickets still had to done manually and airlines faxed for fare quotes. Fax paper faded after 6 months so Photostats of everything had to be kept. Extra buildings had to be rented to store all the papers”